Surf Lifesaving: Omanu U-14s supremacy continues

The victorious Omanu team after winning the Oceans 15 New Zealand under-14 surf lifesaving championships in Mount Maunganui yesterday. Photo / Jamie Troughton

Omanu claimed their second consecutive title at the Oceans 15 New Zealand under-14 surf lifesaving championships in Mount Maunganui yesterday, although neighbours Papamoa pushed them all the way.

The carnival, with more than 800 junior athletes from 42 clubs around the country, finished in blazing sunshine after four packed days of competition, with Omanu clocking 59 points to Papamoa's 54, ahead of Orewa on 45.

Omanu under-14 athlete Connor Swanberg typified his team's final-day effort, clocking his best-ever diamond race finish - fifth - and never giving up.

"We all stepped up on finals day, showing what our club could do and what it's all about at Omanu," Swanberg said. "There's a big group of us going through to seniors next year so this was a nice way to finish things. Not many clubs can say they've done two in a row and it feels pretty good. We've also got some pretty strong kids coming through the younger age groups so we should go pretty well in future too."

The Bay of Plenty club had to fight hard for their two gold medals, with victory in the opening 2km beach relay and Mitchell Irwin taking out the under-13 boys board race but they picked up enough placings to hold off Papamoa.

Liam Moffatt captured Papamoa's only gold in the under-14 diamond race, although he also picked up silver in the surf race and board race.

Orewa was the big mover, Courtesy of under-14 girls star Lucy Makaea capturing her fourth, fifth and sixth gold medals of the carnival.

She added board race and diamond race individual titles, then helped Orewa's under-14 Grand Cameron relay team to victory in the final event of the carnival.

There were some notable performances from Maranui's Sophie Irving and Sam Brown, who took out the under-12 girls and under-11 boys surf races respectively, while Isabella Akroyd picked up two of Mount Maunganui's five golds on the last day.

Results:

U14 Boys Surf Race. Lochlainn O'Connor (Mt Maunganui) 1, Liam Moffatt (Papamoa) 2, Atakura Julian (Lyall Bay) 3.

U14 Girls Surf Race. Tania Denvir (Red Beach) 1, Eve Thomas (Orewa) 2, Alaynah Bettany (Lyall Bay) 3.

U13 Boys Surf Race. Michael Pickett (Waikanae) 1, Thomas Scott (Omanu) 2, Jonathan Selman (Red Beach) 3.

U13 Girls Surf Race. Isabella Akroyd (Mt Maunganui) 1, Daisy Davis (Otaki) 2, Sasha Reid (Fitzroy) 3.

U12 Boys Surf Race. Daniel Shanahan (Mt Maunganui) 1, Joshua Hansen (Lyall Bay) 2, Nathan Proctor (Waikanae) 3.

U12 Girls Surf Race. Sophie Irving (Maranui) 1, Astaria Te Aukura (Mairangi Bay) 2, Ruby Sussock (Whangamata) 3.

U11 Boys Surf Race. Sam Brown (Maranui) 1, Gus Shivnan (Omanu) 2, Zachary Reeder (Mt Maunganui) 3.

U11 Girls Surf Race. Erika Fairweather (St Clair) 1, Mahina Ross (Westshore) 2, Emily Pilbrow (Papamoa) 3.

U14 Boys Board Race. Atakura Julian (Lyall Bay) 1, Liam Moffatt (Papamoa) 2, Thomas Hart (Waikanae) 3.

U14 Girls Board Race. Lucy Makaea (Orewa) 1, Sophie Sandford (Omanu) 2, Hannah Baker (East End) 3.

U13 Boys Board Race. Mitchell Irwin (Omanu) 1, Lewis Farr (Papamoa) 2, Thomas Scott (Omanu) 3.

U13 Girls Board Race. Ayla Hall (Orewa) 1, Emily Julian (Whakatane) 2, Isabella Akroyd (Mt Maunganui) 3.

U12 Boys Board Race. Tom van Kregten (Waikanae) 1, Zach Goldsmith (Taylors Mistake) 2, Jacob Buckle (Waipu Cove) 3.

U12 Girls Board Race. Ruby Sussock (Whangamata) 1, Holly Williams (Waikanae) 2, Paige Robinson (Whangamata) 3.

U11 Boys Board Race. William Jamieson (Taylors Mistake) 1, Thomas Gadsbey (Omanu) 2, Nathaniel Fitt (Red Beach) 3.

U11 Girls Board Race. Mahina Ross (Westshore) 1, Jasmine McCleery (Hot Water Beach) 2, Olivia Carr-Manoit (Mt Maunganui) 3.

U14 Boys Diamond Race. Liam Moffatt (Papamoa) 1, Atakura Julian (Lyall Bay) 2, Lochlainn O'Connor (Mt Maunganui) 3.

U14 Girls Diamond Race. Lucy Makaea (Orewa) 1, Claudia Kelly (East End) 2, Rebecca Barron (Mt Maunganui) 3.

U13 Girls Diamond Race. Isabella Akroyd (Mt Maunganui) 1, Kaitlin Cotter (Westshore) 2, Cayleen Bester (Orewa) 3.

U12 Boys Diamond Race. Daniel Shanahan (Mt Maunganui) 1, Taylor Chamberlain (Waimairi) 2, Cooper Gibson (Papamoa) 3.

U12 Girls Diamond Race. Astaria Te Aukura (Mairangi Bay) 1, Ruby Sussock (Whangamata) 2, Molly Shivnan (Omanu) 3.

U11 Girls Diamond Race. Mahina Ross (Westshore) 1, Mia Gardiner (Mt Maunganui) 2, Erika Fairweather (St Clair) 3.

2km Beach Relay. Omanu (Brooke Batters/Thomas Friskney/Scarlett Glover/Logan Marshall) 1, East End Red (Slade Bristowe/Trent Clarkson/Lucy Elliot/Jacinda McCallum) 2, Waihi (Thomas Carter/Jess Harray/Finn Ward/Milla Ward) 3.

U12 Mixed Grand Cameron Relay. Waikanae (Nathan Proctor/Nicolas Proffit/Tom van Kregten/Holly Williams/Edan Wilson/Georgia Hart) 1, Maranui (Sam Brown/Sophie Irving/Logan Philp/Bailey Reddish/Hugo Blackwood/Taika Davis) 2, Mairangi Bay (Niamh Faulkner/Aimee Johnson/Duke Larsen/Samuel Poching/Benjamin Reshef/Astaria Te Aukura) 3.

U14 Mixed Grand Cameron Relay. Orewa (Levi Ata/Xander Cuff/Leon Pearson/Bernadette Doyle/Aoife King/Lucy Makaea) 1, Lyall Bay (Atakura Julian/Luther Maxwell/Oliver Newman/Ruby Hikuroa/Alaynah Bettany/Ella Kingi) 2, Red Beach (Tania Denvir/Charlotte Hall/Couper Jones/Aneka Mittendorff/Kade Scheib/Jonathan Selman) 3.

Final points. Omanu 59, Papamoa 54, Orewa 45, Mt Maunganui 37, Waikanae 34, Lyall Bay 32, Red Beach 27, East End 21, Maranui 19, Westshore 17, Mairangi Bay 16, Whangamata and St Clair 12 each, Taylors Mistake 9, Wainui 7, Piha and Waihi 5 each, Otaki and Whakatane 4 each, Waimairi, Worser Bay, Fitzroy, Bethells Beach and Spencer Park 3 each, Hot Water Beach and Paekakariki 2 each, Waipu Cove 1.